LIttle Raven

Arapaho Chiefs and Leaders

Nawat

Nawat (‘Left-hand’ ). The principal chief of the Southern Arapaho since the death of Little Raven in 1889.

He was born about 1840, and because noted as a warrior and buffalo hunter, taking active part in the western border wars until the treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867, since which time his people, as a tribe, have remained at peace with the whites.

In 1890 he took the lead in signing the allotment agreement opening the reservation to white settlement, notwithstanding the Cheyenne, in open council, had threatened death to anyone who signed. He several times visited Washington in the interest of his tribe. Having become blind, he has recently resigned his authority to a younger man.

Little Raven

Little Raven (Hósa, ‘Young Crow’). An Arapaho chief.

He was first signer, for the Southern Arapaho, of the treaty of Fort Wise, Colo., Feb. 18, 1861. At a later period he took part with the allied Arapaho and Cheyenne in the war along the Kansas border, but joined in the treaty of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, in 1867, by which these tribes agreed to go on a reservation, after which treaty all his effort was consistently directed toward keeping his people at peace with the Government and leading then to civilization.

Through his influence the body of the Arapaho remained at peace with the whites when their allies, the Cheyenne and Kiowa, went on the warpath in 1874-75.

Little Raven died at Cantonment, Okla., in the winter of 1889, after having maintained for 20 years a reputation as the leader of the progressive element. He was succeeded by Nawat, ‘Left-hand’.


Topics:
Arapaho,

Collection:
Hodge, Frederick Webb, Compiler. The Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Bureau of American Ethnology, Government Printing Office. 1906.

Search Military Records - Fold3

7 thoughts on “Arapaho Chiefs and Leaders”

  1. My family is Southern Arapaho. My great grandmother was Myrtle Howling Buffalo Lincoln and my Great Grandpa was Howard Howling Buffalo Lincoln. My grandmother was Imogene Mosqueda. I’m still trying to find out more info on my ancestors.

  2. My name is Daniel Starr and I am cheyenne and Arapaho nawat was my great grandfather my mother was Diana candyfire and her mother was Ethel lefthand

  3. Robert Roach 1700s Arapaho came to Southern Saskatchewan was a Slave Holder who ran Saskatchewan during that period. British, Irish man that travel around the globe in a Ship, and control Arapahos Slave and I Billy would be his father because those time it was who you was assign to meaning they own you it was listed as a member of that tribe.

  4. Jerome Rosenhamer

    My name is Jerome Rosenhamer.My son’s name is Jerome Kickingbull Rosenhamer. My mother was Efhelyn Birdshead and her parents were Saul Birdshead Sr and Susie Bull Birdshead.

  5. I am trying to track down the origins of a famous Arapaho warrior named Crow Man aka Black Crow. He was convicted at Fort Sill Oklahoma for the murder of John Holloway he was sentenced to death at Fort Smith Arkansas on Feb 1877.
    His sentence was commuted after which he was sent to Moundsville Prison in WV. There he died on November 1878 of TB. He and five other Indians were sent there from Fort Smith about the same time. All but one died in prison.
    harryforr123@gmail.com

  6. Arapahos my father own Saskatchewan. From Idaho own that to Tommahawk/ Nez Perce his name Robert Roach who lead many battles and took care of his camp.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top